James SpillaneThe explosion of digital and social media has opened up exciting new avenues for marketers and advertisers. Never before have there been so many ways a business can get their message out to their target market. Some are new tactics while others are new takes on older methods. Here are some of the exciting new marketing strategies for 2013.
Content Marketing
The term “content marketing” only came on the scene recently. Also known as “inbound marketing,” content marketing is the use of articles, blogging, podcasts, videos and other content to answer prospect questions and help generate sales. The goal of content marketing is to create trust, answer objections and illustrate ways clients can use products.
One good example of this from Coca Cola. They have decided to transition their tradition of “Creative Excellence” to the much different platform of “Content Excellence.” That means they want to create content so valuable and interesting it is shared and talked about. The 30-second TV commercial is no longer the best way to get close to consumers. Coke is moving to a collaborative strategy that involves their audience much more than before.
Public Relations
Public relations used to concern itself with sending press releases and trying to get clients in the media. Now that many people get their news and information in social media, public relations has taken on more of a marketing role.
PR departments are working closer with marketing professionals than ever before. Public relations consultants are using their ability to tell stories to help create new narratives for marketing.
User-Generated Content
One of the fastest ways to create a marketing impact is to allow users to generate content. It gives consumers a chance to interact with their favorite brands, and marketers are able to rapidly create lots of content that will improve their presence in search engine rankings.
User generated content can be as simple as encouraging fans to make YouTube videos. Other popular methods are setting up online communities and asking users to contribute articles and blog posts.
Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing has been on the brink of exploding into the big time for several years. While mobile usage has clearly made huge gains, marketers were never sure the best way to take advantage of the trend; recently they have made great strides in creating content exclusively for mobile.
For example, many businesses have created their own applications that help consumers get information they need. Whether for iPhone, Android or other mobile platforms, there will be more use of “apps” to exploit the power of mobile marketing.
Promotional Products
Promotional products have been a cornerstone of marketing for decades. One might think this marketing method does not mix with new channels like social media. Interestingly, promotional products fit well into new marketing strategies. Since social media is entirely digital, promotional products give marketers the opportunity to make their message more real.
Promotional products are largely used in person and must be touched and handled physically. They are perfect for creating a three-dimensional aspect to a brand message. Promotional products move a brand from the digital realm into the real world.
There has never been a more exciting time in the history of marketing. Changing technology has allowed consumers to play a much bigger role in the conversation around their favourite brands. In the past, marketing was ‘one-way’ with advertisers blasting their message to the world. Marketing has become more dynamic with multiple voices influencing the direction of the brand and its role in the marketplace. Content marketing, mobile marketing, public relations, user-generated content and promotional products are leading these changes for 2013.
This article was written for Business 2 Community by James Spillane.
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In marketing your business you must first consider your budget,look for the cheaper yet very effective strategies to get rid of the usual high cost marketing. First option that will come to our mind is by marketing our product through social media.Facebook is the number one social marketing site. It is also the largest. You will want to build a profile here and then join groups to promote your business.Other social sites include LinkedIn, a business site, and Live, which is part of the MSN Network. When you join either of these sites, build a complete profile. Include the RSS feed for your blog or website so any posts you make will display here. This helps you share your content and get it in the hands of your readers. Thanks for this article Brenda!
With marketing just catching up with the new trends in technology, mobile marketing is indeed something that may very well blow up in the next years to come. With a smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet in hand, people are more likely than ever to be exposed to newer and more innovative marketing strategy. Here is another good look into the trends of 2013. http://smallbusinessology.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/a-look-into-the-future-planning-ahead-for-2013-trends/
About content marketing everything you said are right.But the problem facing is contents are not really get marketed.IF the contents are not get marketed , you can’t say content marketing.PR is always good for marketing , but again ROI should be calculated in this case , otherwise its not worth.Promotional products are always a good way for marketing, again we should make some creative products then only we will get what we expected. And the other i want to add is using new technologies for lead generation , instant call back , live support because we should not let visitor or potential customer to think a second. That’s very important.
Thanks
Francis